I Eat Too Fast!

No really, I do. I eat faster than grown men who have a 100+pounds on me! I easily sat down to Thanksgiving dinner this year and stood up five minutes later to make my way back to the kitchen for seconds. If you were to survey the room you would see that everyone else had plates that were still three quarters full. When everyone saw me with my second plate I just smiled and chose to accept the judgement that might befall me. I don’t like to feel like a greedy little trash compactor lady (Yeah, that is a random way to phrase that. Lol) but I don’t think I can help it… I like to eat!

Sometimes I feel like could enter a competitive eating contest. You don’t have to weigh 400 lbs to qualify either. Even the tiniest of women can do it just check out: Sonya Thomas, an actual competitive eater. I came across her during my casting days at Steve Harvey’s Big Time. She is no joke!

Just recently, Like 10 minutes ago I asked myself, “Seriously, why do I eat so fast?” and then I began to think about my approach to food (work with me I’m going somewhere with this.) When I sit down and look at my plate, I am usually quite hungry so I look at it as a “task to be completed.” I say to myself, “Get food in belly, right now!” It puts me in the mind of…

I’m not gentle with it. I see it almost as a challenge… “eat some green beans, corn, sweet potato caserole and a bite of gluten-free cornbread…ok now repeat and repeat until its all gone! Head down, focused, watching TV or not I am ALL IN till its ALL GONE! Then I breathe a sigh of relief afterward. “Yes! I ate that and it was goooood…I think!” I mean the first bite tasted good but that’s all I really remember actually TASTING! The rest was a blur to my taste buds.

Sometimes when we push back from the table of life we can only remember the first time we tried a new thing, whether it was food or a new relationship, the first day on a job or maybe giving birth to your first child. After the first few moments it seems like the rest is just a blur. I remember the last time I was on stage singing (unfortunately it was a few weeks -not days- ago.) The anticipation of the moment lasted longer than the actual moment. It was over so fast. As with most moments in life, it goes by so fast and we don’t always savor the moment. We don’t always give ourselves enough time to savor the flavors life has to offer. We just want to be “satisfied.” What about the freshness of the green beans and the dab of buttery goodness that they were cooked with? Can you taste the creaminess of the casserole and or the black pepper on the corn kernels? How about the rich spiciness of the cayenne or the sultry earthiness of the cumin? (Man, I have to pat myself on the back for a second because the way I am describing this food you might actually think I cook! Lol) But do we, do we look at what is in front of us and appreciate it as we consume it or do we just speed through it and ask “What did I just eat/do?” Maybe we are looking for the flare/passion of life as if it is some rare occurrence that takes careful planning. Maybe the truth is that we are just speeding through our day and missing the beauty that is already in front of us. Maybe we can only observe the beauty and passion when we slow down enough to observe it!

Our Tasks:

Chew Food Slower: 5-10 times (for soft foods) 30 times (for more dense food like meat or vegetables.) *Just try it for at least one meal and see how it feels. Savor the flavor! (Sounds like a commercial)

Look At A Clock (with a second hand) for one minute. It will feel like an eternity but it will also remind you that you can actually do it. (Its easy to get distracted…so don’t! I believe in you!)

Look At Your Life and see the “blurs” (the places where you are on “automatic.”) Find ways for you to SLOW IT DOWN and actually enjoy it more. *How can you enjoy taking your kids to day care or the process of picking them up and bringing them home? How can you enjoy doing housework more? How can you better enjoy your 9-5? Etc.